Page 11 - EngineerIT August-September 2025

ENERGY

At the same time, renewables could ease energy poverty. Many households A call to action
now have grid connections but can’t afford to use them. Padayachee warns Turning SA Inc into reality would
that families are slipping back to unsafe practices, burning wood or coal for need:
cooking and heating. Expanding affordable renewable supply could help • Clear rules for the April 2026
reverse that trend. electricity market.
• Rapid scaling of renewables to
Lessons from history and sport reduce costs and trade risks.
History shows how nations can recover from deep crises. Germany and Japan • Public-private partnerships that
rebuilt after World War II. Singapore, under Lee Kuan Yew transformed itself prioritise equity.
into a model of efficiency and growth. Each relied on mindset and unity as • Above all, a shift in mindset
much as resources. from individual gain to collective
resilience.
South Africa has its own proof. The 1995 Rugby World Cup revealed the
galvanising power of shared purpose. As Padayachee puts it: “You can
throw money at the problem.
“What do we do to galvanise the South African population now?” Padayachee But unless you change people’s
asks. “We’ve seen it before. It proves that mindset change is possible.” mindset, the crisis will continue.
It’s psychological — it’s about a
Towards a South African dream shared belief in SA Inc.”
The Rainbow Nation narrative no longer inspires. Padayachee believes SA Inc
offers a more practical and unifying framework, one that could evolve into a The choice before us
uniquely South African dream. South Africa has no shortage of
talent, capital or creativity. What it
If the American Dream is tied to car, home, job and family, then the South African lacks is a shared commitment to
Dream must be tied to affordable electricity, working infrastructure and shared pull in one direction. SA Inc offers
opportunity across its 11 languages and cultures. that chance. Whether it becomes
the foundation of a South African
Dream depends not only on
policymakers, but on every citizen
and stakeholder.

The crises are real. But so too is the
potential for renewal.

EDITOR’S NOTE:
For further reading, and
following this article, we
have included Professor
Vally Padayachee’s original
thought leadership article
introducing the “SA Inc”
concept.

In it, Professor Padayachee
outlines how a unifying
national mindset, anchored
in the electricity sector, could
help South Africa confront
its multiple crises and build
towards what he calls a
South African Dream.

11 | EngineerIT August/September 2025